Kiptoo smashes Chuncheon record with 2:07:54 victory

The weather today favoured the 2010 Chosunilbo Chuncheon Marathon, Korea (24), much more than some other marathons on Sunday (like Beijing). In almost windless conditions with temperature at 16 degrees Celsius it was easy to predict the race would be fast with a strong men’s elite field, and a new course record was the result.

The Chosunilbo Chuncheon Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.

The 65th edition of this marathon started with a fast pace. Leading group reached 5km in 15:09 and 10km in 30:19. The next 10km dropped off many runners from the top. 15km was reached in 45:14 for a 14:55 5km and 20km in 60:07 (14:53 5km) with two runners already trying to break away from the others. Kenyan Benjamin Kiptoo and one of pre-race favourites Deriba Merga of Ethiopia had opened a small seven second lead at this stage. But the duo was quickly caught by the others and at 25km seven runners were together again with the clock showing 1:15:30 for a much slower 15:23 5km.

The next 10km was easily the slowest of the race keeping most athletes in the group. At 30km the seven were still together clocking 1:31:06, but after this Kenyan Anderson Chirchir dropped off the leaders group with Deriba Merga dropping off the whole race before the 35km mark. This 5km was the slowest of the race at 15:40 for 1:46:46 at 35km with five Kenyans now looking for the win. Benjamin Kiptoo was accompanied with Benson Barus, David Kipserem Kisang, Boniface Mbuvi and Luka Kipkemoi Chelimo.

Kiptoo then made another move and that tore the group of five totally apart before 40km. With the others fading the 31-year-old Kiptoo, winner in the Rome 2009, clocked the fastest 5km of the race (14:39) opening up a big lead of 40 seconds passing 40km in 2:01:25. Barus and Kisang were the clear number two and three at this stage with Mbuvi and Chelimo dropped way back.

Kiptoo added another 20 seconds to his lead in the last 2km to win in a fast 2:07:54 season’s best, his fastest time since the Rome win (2:07:17) in March 2009. The previous course record was 2:09:01.

Benson Barus and David Kisang stayed side by side until the final sprint with Barus able to hold on to the second place in 2:08:53 season’s best, with Kisang setting a fast 2:08:54 time in his first marathon. The next three, all Kenyans like the top six in the race, set personal bests. Boniface Mbuvi, 2:09:27 for fourth, also ran his first marathon and Luka Chelimo was fifth in 2:10:11 with Anderson Chirchir sixth (2:12:01).

Last year’s winner Ethiopian Mulugeta Wami was now relegated to seventh place in a disappointing 2:13:07 finishing time. Raul Pacheco of Peru set a good 2:13:37 personal best cutting almost nine minutes off his previous fastest. Other notable non-finishers included Robert Cheboror of Kenya and Oleksandr Kuzin of Ukraine.